Apparatus for releasing life-boats and similar vehicles from ships.



S. NIELSEN.

APPARATUS FOR RELEASING LIFE BOATS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES PROM SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1914.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTO-LITHCL WASHINGTON. D r,

SGREN NIELSEN, 0F COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

APPARATUS FOR RELEASING LIFE-BOATS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES FROM SHIPS.

Application filed January 7, 1914.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, SonEN NIELSEN, a sub ject of the King of Denmark, and resident of Copenhagen, Denmark, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Releasing Lite-Boats and Similar Vehicles from Ships.

An object of the invention is to provide means in combination with a smaller boat for releasing simultaneously both ends of the boat from the tension members or the like by which it is suspended from the davits.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby this simultaneous re lease of both ends of the boat may be effected manually in a simple way.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in alii'eboat or similar vehicle whereby a simultaneous release at both ends of the boat may be eflected automatically when the boat strikes the surface of the water.

With these and other objects in view, I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawing, wherein: T

Figure l is a longitudinal central section through the boat, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on line A B of Fig. 1.

The boat a is suspended from the davits indicated at Z) by tension members 0. As long as the boat is on deck, it is held within the stationary support 1. A boxlike casing 2 extends longitudinally through the boat and is provided near its ends with cylinders 3 which are supported therein in some suitable way. Pistons 5, slidably mounted within said cylinders, are connected with rods 6, which project through one end of each of said cylinders, and are also provided with pins which extend in opposite direc tion to that ofthe piston rods 4- from the pistons. Springs 6, interposed between one end of the cylinders and piston, normally force the piston toward the other end of the cylinders.

The projecting ends of the piston rods l are connected to each other by a rope or chain 7, which is guided tangentially with respect to the rollers 8, which are supported Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915. Serial No. 810,779.

within the casing 2. A hand lever 9 is pivotally supported at the casing 2, and the arm 9 of this lever carries a release 10, which, in the oscillation of the lever, may force the chain or rope 7 upwardly between the rollers 8, thereby withdrawing the piston rods 4 partly from the pertaining cylinders 3. The position of the rope or chain 7, when under the action of the roller 10, is ind cated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The deflection of the rope between the rollers 8 causes a withdrawal of the pins attached to the pistons 5 from the bars 11 which are suspended in the hooks in which the tension members 0 terminate. By'this means the boat is released at both ends simultaneously from the suspending means, and the danger of capsizing by an untimely release of one, end of the avoided.

The automatic means for releasing the boat as soon as it strikes water comprises a vertcial cylinder disposed underneath the arm 9 of the lever 9. This cylinder contains a float 13, which engages a pin 14, slidable in vertical direction and connected at its upper end with the arm 9 of the lever. WVhen the boat strikes the surface of the water, the float is raised, owing to the entrance of the water into the cylinder 12, and the float will therefore elevate the pin let, whereby the arm 9 is elevated and the release 10 swung into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

I claim:

A boat releasing apparatus, comprising in combination with a boat a casing extending longitudinally through the boat, suspension means, bars provided with apertures and connected with said suspension means at the ends of said casing, pistons slidable within said cylinders, locking pins connected with the pistons and projecting through said cylinders into the apertures of said bars, piston rods attached to said cylinders, means for normally forcing the pistons into a position in which the locking pins project into the bars, a tension member connecting the piston rods, a lever, a roller on said lever adapted to act against said tension member and to deflect the same by the oscillation of said lever, a vertical cylinboat is thereby der, :1 float within said cylinder, a pin engaged by said fioat and acting on said lever and adapted to swing the same When the float is raised, and means for guiding nor- 5 mally the tension member between the two piston rods in a straight line.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SQREN NIELSEN.

Nitnesses: HANS, P DERSE CARL JENSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

